Profile:
The Ford Motor Company in all its glory and Detroit classic style almost did not happen. Henry Ford made this company successful because of his hard work and his intelligence of engineering and business. His earlier attempts for a successful car company had failed due to poor decisions and some other financial reasons. Ford did not stop here; he continued to work hard and ended up with the beginning of a revolution in transportation. He brought new ideas for industry techniques that proved to be much more profitable and efficient. These new ways of production are now common practice and efficiently allow companies to invest their money in other areas that are more important to human society such as safety, improvement, and advancements in technology.
Henry Ford was the first person to really perfect the art of mass producing the automobile. His company would use new practices to cut costs and make cars more affordable. This would happen because all parts were now mass produced, instead of prior where they were handmade; this allows every part to fit together with other parts. When everything was handmade the parts were made specifically for its corresponding parts leaving a large margin for error in original measurement. Now all parts were mass produced to the same dimensions after a lengthy design and testing process to determine tolerances on how far pieces could vary from desired sizes. This may seem like a simple process now because we think of it as building parts that make up an automobile, back then it was thought of building a car with a bunch of parts that are made to fit. This drastically lowered the prices of Ford’s first mass produced car, the infamous Model T.
Ford did not gain all this success overnight though, he had his fair share of failures and misfortunes when trying to create the company we know today. Steven Watts’ book “The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century” tells that his first 3 attempts at an auto company failed, and all within 5 years. Ford did not give up but instead kept at it and tried his expertise in a different area and helped to shape yet another current automobile event. He first worked for Thomas Edison’s company and was a very successful engineer, but had his own projects also. He first developed a car looking product there and soon called upon investors to help develop a business opportunity. The first company was called the Detroit Automobile Company and failed because the cars were too expensive and not up to quality. The Detroit Company did not last very long until it ran into financial troubles. The second, Henry Ford Company, failed within a year and was renamed the Cadillac Automobile Company which may sound familiar. The investors decided to bring in another engineer because of Ford’s last failed attempt at the Detroit Company’s car. The third started with the name Ford and Malcomson, Ltd. and was the beginning of the company we know today. Ford and Malcomson designs were sent off and parts were made, but sales started slow and they were unable to pay the machinists. The company was renamed after the financial problems because new investors were brought in and so began the legendary Ford Motor Company. In the times between trying to make successful companies Ford worked on designs for auto racing. He was very good at designing cars that could go fast and win safely. Even in times of failure and losing, he was able to work hard and turn it around into a winning strategy that would also help sell investors on his skills.
The Ford Motor Company proved themselves as quality and affordable to consumers. Ford used his factories in the best way he found, utilizing all floor space and his employees’ time to help the company succeed. Ford and the company’s executives did their best to maximize worker safety and safe work conditions within his factory while maintaining a high standard of production. In Ford’s 1922 autobiography “My Life and Work” he says that in early 1900’s accidents were more common than they are today because of worker inexperience and no standards for working conditions. He also stated in his book that one worker was employed to carefully take down the details of any accidents that happened, record and look for other possible problems within all Ford’s factories. These workers would also find ways to correct any problems that were found. When the factories started using mechanical machines to help increase production and decrease cost, accidents with workers increased due to being unfamiliar with new machines and equipment. Even with proper training these machines were not always the safest. Accidents would not slow Ford and his company. As the depression arose and machines began to replace workers on the assembly line, Ford wrote up a program to help create jobs. He had a system to rank workers as they proved themselves, the higher the rank the better jobs and pay. This led to a good impression among the country and led to more sales of his cars.
The factories that the Ford Company used to produce cars were in Detroit, Michigan or in nearby town. Ford worked hard to regulate accidents in the factories and also worked to lower waste production. One specific example of this waste control was shown in a 2006 article written by Tom McCarthy about industrial ecology, it was at Ford’s Rouge River plant located about close to Detroit where they had an automobile recycling line which would recycle cars that are past their lifetime and refurbish and reuse parts. This was a trial and error challenge for Ford, this had poor results right away but after some changes it greatly helped to reduce costs within the company. This shows that Ford was an innovator for industrial conservation and recycling.
Henry Ford was a very successful and innovative man that helped to create society we know today. He was not this successful from the beginning, he failed with his first three attempts and trying to make the Ford Company we have today. He knew his capabilities and was determined to make the most of them. Henry Ford brought great ideas and solutions to help with the efficiency of all industries. This is a true story of success after multiple failures. Henry Ford, the innovator, inventor, and world changer.
Proposal:
Rick DeMeis wrote an article titled “Cars sag under weighty wiring” in which he said that about 40% the value and cost of a car is software and electronics which to some people are unnecessary (pg. 1). These expenses could be spent somewhere more important such as vehicle safety, engine reliability, and even gas mileage improvements. These improvements may reach to a new group of consumers that are looking for a good balance of simplicity, technology, reliability, and affordable. This is a problem that should be assessed with new cars. The Model T was the simplest of simple because of lack of technology and yet it was still high quality for the era. With current technology and engineering, auto companies could design cars 10 times more reliable and safer if simplicity was kept in mind. To remind auto makers of this problem a monument should be erected.
The proposed monument would be of an original Model T or even that company’s first production car which would hopefully show them how simple and effective those cars were. These monuments would be placed outside of all factories and facilities in which cars are designed and produced letting all the workers remember the earlier cars. These employees would hopefully take this into account and realize that simplicity is sometimes the key to success. Some of the best cars are designed with simplicity in mind, the makers didn’t need any fancy parts to sell a lot of cars. They needed simple things like style, reliability, safety, and comfort, not heated seats and electric cup holders. A simple monument or memorial outside of automakers could change the way automobiles are designed, producing a simpler and friendlier car.
The Ford Model T was a forerunner for American automobiles. Quality, longevity, style, and useful, just to name a few adjectives to describe the Model T that can still be found in cars built in the current era. One thing that may have been lost in new car is simplicity. The Model T was a perfect example of simplicity by Ford’s designs. The Model T may have been designed poorly by today’s standards, but was highly advanced when it was made. The new models of cars have been designed with many accessories and creature comforts that consumers have become accustomed to and any car without certain amenities may be called junky. New cars that are loaded with options may seem like a great change, but what happens if the electrical systems begin to fail?
Most parts or accessories which have become assumed to be included in new cars were not available when the Model T was in production. Some things such as a speedometer, heater, and radio were not available but are now standard on cars. More standard parts on new cars are power steering, Anti-lock and power brakes, cruise control, adjustable seats and steering wheel, radio, air conditioning, electric windows and locks, and many more. New cars come equipped with GPS, cruise control that keeps you a certain distance behind the car in front, electric power steering, built in hands-free telephone, cooled and heated cup holders, iPod hook ups, heated seats, electric adjustable seats, automatic windshield wipers, and there are plenty more. Many of these cost consumers a good chunk of money but may not be a bad decision when purchasing a new car. Are there going to be problems with these systems in the future after the slightly worn?
Some bugs in electrical systems have begun to become problems in recent years. Some electric sensors have gone bad causing malfunctions in important components of the automobile. In an article written by Nic Fleming titled “The bugs in cars’ electronic controls” it is said that there can be interference with systems that cannot be seen, such as radio frequencies and magnetic fields that disrupt signals. These problems could be prevented by using traditional mechanical systems that can be drawn out and tested using tried and true engineering techniques and methods. Electronic systems are also tested very closely but unforeseen effects and wear cannot always be found providing problems for the consumers further down the road. The bugs that have been found have been fixed by recalling all potentially flawed units and replacing them with new one which costs the auto company a large amount of money. This not only costs the company unnecessary money and time, but they receive a bad reputation for the vehicle model and the entire company.
This also becomes a problem with fully electrical cars because they are just that, fully electrical and are subject to more malfunctions due to the lack of mechanical systems on the vehicle. More research is put into these vehicles to help prevent these kinds of problems, but it is not always effective. Due to the extra research that is put in compared to combustion engine cars the price of electric cars is more expensive. In an article title “Batteries: Lower cost than gasoline?” written by Werber, Fischer, and Schwartz it was found that electric cars cost more in the short run than traditional cars, but will reach an equilibrium price with traditional cars after gas prices rise in the future. This may not be the end of costs for purchasers of electric cars, some vehicle malfunctions may not be covered under the warranty or my happen after it has expired. These complications could simply be resolved by improving designs of current mechanical systems, and if not resolved could be cut greatly in initial cost and repair costs.
New cars use a majority of electrical and computerized systems as compared to the classic and original mechanical systems. This may seem like a smart idea for the designers to create longevity in their vehicles, but it can become a problem with cost and unseen problems. Auto makers should be informed of these complications through the construction of a monument representing the beginning of automobile design. A replica of a Model T or the company’s first production car could be placed outside of factories and workplaces to remind them of simpler times, before electronics ruled the industry. The Ford Model T didn’t have fancy accessories to help the drivers feel “at home”. It used a well-engineered and durable design to make its mark in history. Designers for new cars should try to find a good balance between technology and simplicity to eliminate and future problems with advanced systems. The technology available to the producers of automobiles today should be able to take older less complicated systems and make them better and more reliable than most of the electrical and complex systems used today.
Emblem:
This drawing of a Ford Model T represents the lost art of simplicity when designing cars. The new cars use a lot of complex and electrical systems that can become overwhelming to consumers. They can also be distractions when operating the motor vehicle. The point of this drawing is to remind auto makers of when times were simpler. The Model T was the first true mass produced automobile and was much simpler than cars produced today. Not everything on today’s cars is too complex though. Many features are helpful and improve the safety of the car, but other can be distracting.
This drawing is a good example of some ideas that can be used in new cars and their designs. These changes and new designs could open a new market of cars for some consumers. That is what this picture stands for, changes that most car buyers could relate to. Sometimes less is more.
Existing Monument:
An existing monument that may relate to the proposed monument is the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This is located in Henry Ford’s hometown. The museum consists of many important pieces of automobile history and exhibits about Ford’s life. The museum is a great place to learn more about early automobile production as well as other innovators. The museum is not solely about Ford, it also has other important transportation break-throughs.
The museum also has tours available of the Rouge Factory. The museum’s website, thehenryford.org, tells us that the factory is at the convergence of the Rouge River and the Detroit River, has over 15 million square feet of floor with 120 feet of conveyer belts within its 93 buildings (pg. 1). The Rouge Factory is the first one of Ford’s many that are producing the thousands of cars. This museum is probably the most informative that deals with the history of transportation. It shows Ford’s earliest designs and experiments.
The Henry Ford Museum is a great place to learn and experience the history of transportation and factory productions. It will show you everything from Henry Ford’s life to the innovators of flight. If the chance is ever given to visit this museum it would be a wise choice.
Existing Agency:
There aren’t a lot of people who could help to resolve this problem without being a CEO or designer for an auto company. One agency that probably could help with this problem would be the Department of Transportation. They could help by setting standards for equipment and software used within new vehicles. Another option would be to change existing standards to stronger and safer ones. These standards would make future cars much safer in collisions and malfunctions. The Department of Transportation or other government agencies that deal with transportation and motor vehicles would be the only people who would be able to assist these problems.
Theories:
Watts, Steven. The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and The American Century. New York: Vintage Books. Print.
Ford, Henry, Samuel Crowther. My Life and Work. New York: Garden City Publishing, 1922. Print.
McCarthy, Tom. "Henry Ford, Industrial Conservationist? Take-back, waste reduction and recycling at the Rouge."Progress in Industrial Ecology, an International Journal 3.4 (2006): 302-328. E-Journals. EBSCO. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
DeMeis, Rick. (2005). "Cars sag under weighty wiring." Electronic Engineering Times (01921541) 1394: 47-56. EBSCO MegaFILE. EBSCO. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
Fleming, Nic. (2010). "The bugs in cars' electronic controls." New Scientist 205.2753: 20-21. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
Werber, M., Fischer, M., & Schwartz, P. (2009). "Batteries: Lower cost than gasoline?." Energy Policy 37.7: 2465-2468. E-Journals. EBSCO. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.
The Henry Ford. “Ford Rouge Factory Tours”. 2011. Web. 14 April 2011. http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/historyofrouge.aspx
